First Online: 14 November 2016Received: 21 August 2016Accepted: 17 October 2016

Abstract

AimThe NET, encoded by SLC6A2, is responsible for presynaptic NE-reuptake. I-mIBG is clinically used to evaluate cardiac sympathetic function. However, it is unknown if polymorphism of SLC6A2 influences cardiac sympathetic activity as assessed with I-mIBG. Therefore we studied the influence of SLC6A2 SNPs on myocardial I-mIBG parameters in CHF.

Materials and MethodsForty-nine adults with stable CHF age 66.5 ± 8.1 years, LVEF 22.3 ± 6.4 were enrolled. Fifteen minutes early and 4 hours late after administration of I-mIBG planar images were acquired. The H-M ratio was calculated from the manually drawn ROI over the left ventricle and a fixed mediastinal ROI. Fourteen exons of the SLC6A2 gene were analyzed from whole blood samples.

ResultsWe found 6 different SLC6A2 SNPs, although none were functional. LVEF was the only independent predictor for early adjusted R = 0.063, p = 0.045 and late H-M ratio adjusted R = 0.116, p = 0.010. NT-proBNP was the only independent predictor for I-mIBG WO adjusted R = 0.074, p = 0.032. SLC6A2 SNPs were not associated with any myocardial I-mIBG-derived parameter.

ConclusionIn this specific CHF population polymorphism of SLC6A2 gene was not associated with any I-mIBG derived parameters.